THE great Sankaracharya had a foolish disciple who used to imitate his Master in all matters. Sankara uttered ‘Sivoham’ (I am Siva); the disciple also repeated ‘Sivoham’. To correct his disciple’s folly, Sankara one day, while passing by a smithy, took a potful of molten iron and swallowed it; and he asked that disciple also to do the same. Of course, the disciple could not imitate this act of his Master, and thence forward he left saying ‘Sivoham’. (52)
Stories/Sankaracharya and His Foolish Disciple